UP shatters power demand record with 31104 mw peak
LUCKNOW Amid an intense heatwave and soaring humidity levels, Uttar Pradesh recorded an all-time high power demand of 31,104 mw at 23.02 hours on June 9 night, surpassing last year's highest demand of 30,618 mw on June 13 (the previous all-time high demand).
The peak demand was expected to touch 33,000 mw this year any day between June and September, said UP Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL) officials.
Energy minister AK Sharma said the state's power management system successfully met this unexpected rise in demand without disruptions. He added that UP was fully prepared to handle any further increase in demand in the days of come.
'On June 6, 7 and 8, the state supplied 28,581 mw, 29,502 mw and 30,161 mw of electricity, respectively — a supply level that exceeds the peak consumption of several major states in the country,' Sharma added. He said for the last three consecutive years, UP had held the record for the highest electricity supply among all Indian states.
On June 9, UP's supply outpaced even high-demand states such as Gujarat (25,230 mw), Maharashtra (25,191 mw), Tamil Nadu (17,867 mw), Rajasthan (16,562 mw) and Punjab (15,508 mw), Sharma pointed out.
The minister also emphasized the significant infrastructure upgrades made over the past three years, including enhanced transmission capacity, additional substations, upgraded transformers, and replacement of ageing power lines and poles. These improvements substantially reduced issues such as low voltage, frequent tripping and transformer or cable burnouts.
He directed that power supply across all regions of the state must strictly follow the scheduled timings without any unauthorised outages. He warned against unnecessary power cuts for maintenance and insisted that shutdowns, if necessary, must be planned during non-peak hours to avoid public inconvenience.
'Power department personnel must remain alert and responsive. Immediate action must be taken on any complaint regarding supply disruption. Burnt or damaged transformers must be replaced within stipulated timelines. Rural areas must also receive uninterrupted supply, and continuous monitoring must be ensured,' Sharma instructed.
Meanwhile, UP Vidyut Karmchari Sanyukt Sangharsh Samiti, which had been organising protests against the proposed privatisation of power distribution in 42 districts for last 195 days, called on its employees and engineers to ensure consumers did not face any inconvenience due to power disruptions anywhere despite the ongoing agitation.
'Despite the agitation, our engineers and employees are working hard to maintain power supply even as power demand is setting new records every day,' said samiti convenor Shailendra Dubey.
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